Which organisation governs professional snooker and professional billiards internationally?
Answer
World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association
The World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association governs professional snooker and professional billiards internationally.
Usually abbreviated as WPBSA, the organisation is the governing body for the professional side of the sport. It oversees rules, professional membership and disciplinary matters, while its commercial subsidiary operates the World Snooker Tour and promotes major professional events.
The WPBSA was formed in 1968, when professional players created an organisation to administer professional snooker and billiards. Its responsibilities have developed as the sport became more global and commercially organised.
The WPBSA is often confused with World Snooker Tour, but they are not identical names for the same thing. The tour is the professional competition circuit; the association is the governing organisation behind the professional game. Amateur and international bodies, including the International Billiards and Snooker Federation, serve different parts of the sport.